Knitting machine



{No.Model.) ZSheets-Sheet 1.

W. 8v R. N. WRIGHTSON.

Y v KNITTING MACHINE. No. 353,525. Patented Nov. 30, 1886.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-fsheet 2.

W. 8a. R. N. WRIGHTSON.

KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 3533.525. 'Patented Nov. 30, 1886.

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KNITTING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION Forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,525, dated November30, 1886.

Application filed August 18, 1885. Serial No. 174,682. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known lhat we,W1LLrAn WRIGHTSON and ROBERT N. Wmonrsox, citizensof the United States,rand residents of Linwood, Delaware county,Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Knitting-Machiues,of which the following' is a specification.

The object of our invention is to so construct a latch-needle knitting.- machine as to produce thereon a fabric resembling thewell-known stockinet fabric, having a knitted face and a backingcomposed of threads tied into said face by a third or binding` thread.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of sufficient of'aknitting-machine to illustrate our invention; Fig. 2,a sectionaldiagram, on a larger scale, of' a portion ofthe machine; Fig. 3, a viewshowing the different needle-bits; Figs. 4 and 5, views showing thedifferent cams, and Figs. (5, '7, 8, and 9, diagrams illustrating oneof' the features of the invention.

The machine which we use in carrying out our invention may be similar toan ordinary balmoral frame, such as shown in Fig. l, A being the fixedframe of the machine, B the cam-box mounted thereon, and D theneedlecylinder driven by `spur-gears a and b and bevel-gears d d fromthe drivingshaf`t, as usual.

The threads fed to the machine are arranged in sets, each set comprisingone or more knitting-threads,w,a binding-th read', and a backing-thread,@,these threads being adapted to their respective guides NV, X, and Y,as shown in Fig. 1, in which one set of' threads and guides isillustrated, although it should be un derstood that in practice the setsare duplicated to any extent which the capacity of t-he cylinder willpermit.

In producing the fabric on this machine certain of the needles are firstraised to such an extent that their loops are now slipped back of thelatches. Certain of these raised needles are then depressed, and thebackingthread is fed to the hooks of the needles remaining elevated.These raised needles are then, by preference, depressed, so as to drawthe backingthread into their hooks, and all of the needles that werefirst raised are then again raised to receive the bindingthread, thissecond rise being to a greater extent than the first, so that the loopson the needles and the backing-th read carried by some of the needleswill be slipped back ot' the latches. The needles are then depressed, soas to draw the binding thread into their hooks, the extent of thisdepression being such as to lcause the discharge of the backing-thread,but notsufficient to slip lthe fabric loop. Allofthe needles are thenraised to receive the knitting-thread and slip the old loops and theloops of the binding-thread back of' the latches, after which theneedles are depressed, so as to cast their loops and form loops ofthenew knittingthread.

As shown in Fig. 2, there are a succession of needles, 1, 2, 3, and 4,the needles l and 3 being first raised and the needles 2 and 4 allowedto remain down, Vand the needles l being then depressed, so as to leaveonly the needles 3 elevated for the reception of the backingthread,these needles being then depressed, so as to draw the thread into theirhooks, said thread being laid behind the intervening needles, 4, l, and2. The needlesl and 3 are then again raised, so as to receive thebinding-th read, and are then depressed, so that the backingthread willbe cast off the needles 3, as before set forth, all of the needles beingthen raised to receive thel:nittingthread. This operation of the needleswe effect by the use of what are known as upper and lower tuck-cams andupper and lower tuck-bits on the needles. The needles l have full bits,the needles2and 4 lower tuck-bits-. e., bits cut away at the bottom-andthe needle 3 an upper tuck-bit i. e., a bit cut away at the top.

The lower cams 5 and 6 are tuck-camst. e., they are recessed-so thatwhile they will elevate to the full extent all the needles lhaving fullbits or upper tuclnbits subjected to their action, they will onlypartially lift the needles having recessed lower tuck-bits.

The upper cam 8 is a tuck-cam, which,

while it depresses the needles having full bits or lower tuck-bits, willfail to depress or will only partially depress the needles having uppertuck-bits.

The lower cam 7 and the upper cams 9, 10, and l1 are fullcalns, whichact upon all of the needles to the same extent.

The lower tuck-cam 5 has its point reduced, so that it will not elevateany of the needles subjected to its action to such an extent as to IOO freceives the backing-thread, every alternate needle receives thebinding-thread, and every needle receives the knitting-thread.

In the absence of the arrangement of upper and lower tuck-cams, asdescribed, three different liftingcams and th ree different styles ofbits on the needles would be required, so that' each cam would operateonly upon its special needles.

The use of lower tuck-cams 5 and 6 and the employment of an uppertuck-cam to de press certain of the needles raised by the first lowertuck-cam, 5, enables us to dispense with a specially-constructed lowercam and needle bits for the purpose of raising everyfourth needle toreceive the backing-thread.

The casting of the backing-thread from the needle without casting theloop of face fabric is facilitated by imparting aslight tension to thebacking-thread, .which may be effected by partially obstructing theguide-eye m, th rough which said thread passes before reaching theguideY, orin any other of thenumerous ways which will suggest themselvesto those familiar with this class of machinery. The guideeye can beobstructed by drawing a luft of fibers or strands into the same, asshown in Fig. 1.

Knitted fabric can be produced on our im:

proved machine much more rapidly than upon the spring beard needlemachine now employed for the production of stockinet fabric.

The fabric produced on our machine differs from the usual stockinetfabric, for while the binding-thread is interlocked with loops of theface fabric the successive courses of binding-thread are not interloopedwith each other, the binding-thread, moreover, engaging u with the loopsof but a single course ofthe face fabric, instead of with the loops oftwo courses,` as in the usual stockinet fabric, so that lessbinding-thread than usual is used.- and less appears upon the face ofthe fabric, as fully set forth in'an application which we have filedsimultaneously herewith, the serial number of which application is174,681.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination of guides for backing,binding, and knitting threads, the needlecylinder andlatch-needlesguided therein, and

having upper tuck, lower tuck,and plain bits, as described, with uppertuck-cam 8, upper plain cams 10 and 11, lower tuck-cams 5 and 6, andlower plain" cam 7,all substantially as specified.

2. The' combination of guides for backing, binding, and knittinglthreads, the needlecylinder and latch-needles guided therein,and havinguppertuck, lower tuck, and plain bits, as described, with the uppertuck-cam 8, upper plain cams 9, 10, and l1,lower tuck-cams 5 and 6, andlower plain cam 7, all substan; tially as specied.

3. The combination of guides for the backingbinding,and knittingthreads, means for imparting tension to said backingthread, the cylinderand latch-needles guided therein, and

lhaving upper tuck, lower tuck, and plain bits, las described, with theupper tuck-cam 8, up-

per plain cams 10 and 1l, lower tuck-cams 5 and 6, and lower plain cam7, all substantially as specified. l

In testimony whereof we have 'signed our naines to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM WRIGHTSON. ROBT. N. WRIGHTSON. Witnesses:

' WILLIAM F. Davis, Y

HARRY SMITH.

